Thank you to City Manager Kevin Murphy, the City Councilors, and City planning staff for moving forward with improvements to the historic South Common. The first phase of the big park’s upgrade will involve a pathway from Thorndike Street to South Street to enhance walking and biking, especially people moving from downtown to the Gallagher train and bus station. The route through the Common will shine brightly at night with attractive lighting fixtures (for years the park has been dark after sunset and officially closed from sundown to sunrise according to posted signs). The existing South Common improvement plan includes many more beneficial changes that should come along in phases after this construction season. As a neighbor in the South Common Historic District for nearly 25 years, I am encouraged by this news. The forthcoming renovation of the landmark Hood Mill/Comfort Furniture building, transformation of the Lord Overpass and Thorndike-Dutton corridor into a user-friendly crossroads for everyone, construction of the mega-courthouse at the edge of the Hamilton Canal District—all this exciting progress and more will make our city a better place.

South Common Improvement Plan